1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus for recognizing an environment, which recognizes an environment around a vehicle equipped with the apparatus (hereinafter referred to as an apparatus-equipped vehicle) by use of image processing.
2. Description of the Related Art
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-259998 describes one of conventional apparatuses for surveying an environment around an apparatus-equipped vehicle. The prior art grasps the positional relationship between the apparatus-equipped vehicle and other vehicles running behind the apparatus-equipped vehicle by use of an optical flow (velocity vector that connects corresponding points in two images with a time interval). Further, the above-mentioned prior art estimates a white line that distinguishes between a lane for the apparatus-equipped vehicle and an adjacent lane based on information about the road on which the apparatus-equipped vehicle has run, the information being obtained while driving. Moreover, the prior art determines to which of the lane for the apparatus-equipped vehicle and the adjacent lane other vehicle, which generates the optical flow, belongs.